Shears.



Patented Dec. ll, I900.

0. M. FISHER.

S H E A R 8.

(Application filed May 18, 1900.)

(No Model.)

INVEN I 01?.

HQLM

tlNrrnn STATES PATENT Erica ORA M. FISHER, OF ERIE, PENNSYLVANIA,ASSIGNOR TO BLASS & GARNOW, OF SAME PLACE.

SHEARS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 663,565, dated December11, 1900.

Application filed May 18,1900. Serial No. 17,168. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ORA M. FISHER, a citizen of the United States,residing at Erie, in the county of Erie, State of Pennsylvania,

have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Shears; and I dohereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact descriptionof the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to whichit appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to shears in general, and more particularly to thatclass used for gathering grapes and similar fruit.

The object of my invention is to provide a 1 pair of shears which shallbe cheap of manufacture and which shall remain in a normally openposition. With this object in view I have constructed an article of thisnature such as is described in this specification and shown in theaccompanying drawings, of

which Figure 1 is a View of my complete invention. Fig. 2 is a sideelevation showing a portion of one of the pivoted members removed.

5 Fig. 3 is a rear elevation showing the handles in section, and Fig. 4is a perspective view of one of the pivoted members.

In the manufacture of a device in accordance with my invent-ion Iprovide a pair of pivoted members a and b, and as they are identical inform and may be cast from the same mold I will describe but one of them.

Each member comprises a central portion 0, having a central perforationd, and sur- 5 rounding the perforation d is a concentric groove 6,resulting in a wall f. The wall f is cut away at the point g to form aradial passage 7t. Beginning at the passage h and continuing for aboutone-fourth of the circum- 0 ference of the central portion 0 is avertical flange t', concentric with the groove 6. The flange t' hasvertical ends 70 and Z, the latter being cut away at its top to form ashoulder m. Projecting from the flange 't' and extend- 5 ing to the baseof the central portion '0 is a handle 11, preferably formed in acompound curve, and extending from the opposite side of the centralportion 0 to that at which the handle is attached is a cutting-blade 0,substantially triangular in shape and having a cutting edge 29.

In connection with a pair of pivoted members as above described I employa helical spring q, having its ends 1 and 2 turned in the same directionto lie parallel. Ialso employ a slightly frustuin shaped spring-washer rand a screw 5, having a nut t.

In assembling the parts of my invention I place the spring q in thegroove e of one of the pivoted members in such a manner as to allow itsend 2 to fall into the passage h. The remaining pivoted member is thenplaced upon the member just mentioned in such a manner as to allow oneside of the spring q to fall within its groove e and the end 1 to fallwithin its passage h. The washer '1" is then placed upon the screw 3,with its convex side toward the head of the latter, and the threadedportion of the screw is then passed through the registering perforationsd of the two mem- 7o bers to lie loosely within one of the perforationsand in threaded engagement with the other, screw-threads being formedwithin the latter perforation for this purpose. The screw is providedwith the usual slot in its head, and by means of this the two members aand b are drawn together to the desired extent, after which the nut t isplaced upon the then protruding end of the screw and turned tightly intoplace to prevent loosening of the latter. When the parts have been thusassembled, it will be readily seen that the cutting-blades of the twomembers Ct and b will be held in their normally-distended position, andthe washer 1" will hold the two members snugly 8 together to causeengagement of the cutting edges of the blades when the two are operated.The blades will be bent to slightly overlap one another, as iscustomary. When the handles are brought together to close thecutting-blades, the extremities lot the flanges 2' will come together toform a stop and the ends of the spring q will protrude slightly, so thateach will lie between an extremity Z of one flange and the shoulder onof the other. 5

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secureby Letters Patent, is-

A pair of shears for harvesting grapes comprising a pair ofpivotally-connected mem- IOO bers, said members being identical in formand each comprising a central portion, a handle portion, and acutting-blade, perforations in the central portions, a concentric groovesurrounding the perforation of each member, resulting in annular flangesbetween the grooves and the perforations, slots in the outer walls ofthe grooves, a helical spring lying within the grooves and having an endresting in each of the said slots, segmental flanges rising fromperipheries of the central 1 0 portions, and a pivot passing through theperforations, holding the faces of the annular flanges and the outerwalls of the grooves in engagement, to form bearings.

In testimony whereof I sign my name, in

the presence of two Witnesses, on this 14th day [5 of April, 1900.

ORA M. FISHER. Witnesses:

ALBERT DOERR, HARRY W. SHERWOOD.

